Lidstrom played in several Swedish ice hockey clubs before being selected by Detroit as the 53rd overall pick in the 1989 National Hockey League (NHL) draft. After winning a gold medal with Sweden at the 1991 International Ice Hockey Federation world championships, Lidstrom made his NHL debut on October 3, 1991. He finished the 1991–92 season as runner-up for the Calder Trophy for best rookie player. A scoring defenseman, Lidstrom earned notice for his consistency and durability; he typically logged the most ice time on the team and was rarely injured. In the 1994–95 season, he appeared in his first Stanley Cup play-off, but Detroit was defeated by the New Jersey Devils.

In 1997 the Red Wings swept the Philadelphia Flyers to win the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in 42 years. Lidstrom led all defensemen in points as the Wings repeated as champions in 1998. He won his first Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman in 2001. The next season he helped Detroit defeat the Carolina Hurricanes for a third Stanley Cup; for his dominating performance in the postseason—he scored 5 goals, including 2 game winners, and made 11 assists—Lidstrom became the first European to receive the Conn Smythe Trophy for most valuable player in the play-offs. He capped the 2002–03 season with his third consecutive Norris Trophy. In 2006 he recorded his 800th career point, and, after Steve Yzerman retired as captain following the 2005–06 season, Lidstrom was named to succeed him. In Lidstrom’s first season as team leader, the Wings reached the conference finals but lost to the eventual champions, the Anaheim Ducks. Detroit responded in 2007–08 by posting the best record in the league en route to the franchise’s 11th Stanley Cup. Lidstrom’s poise and skill were credited as key to Detroit’s success, and he became the first player born and trained in Europe to captain a Stanley Cup-winning team. In 2011 he was awarded his seventh Norris Trophy for best defenseman, which placed him just one shy of the record set by Bobby Orr. After the 2011–12 season, Lidstrom retired, having played 20 seasons with the Wings. His career totals included 264 goals and 878 assists.

In addition to his NHL play, Lidstrom competed on the Swedish national team. At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, he scored the game-winning goal in the final against Finland to win the gold medal for Sweden. Lidstrom was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015.